Data generated by computing devices is often printed by ink-jet, laser or other types of printers. These printers adhere ink or toner onto a printable medium, such as paper. The ink or toner may be stored, for example, in a cartridge. The cartridge may then be replaced when the ink or the toner is consumed.
In the case of significant ink or toner consumption, the high frequency of replacement of the cartridges results in higher costs. In fact, a significant cost associated with owning a printer is that of replacing used printer cartridges. While the price of printers is currently decreasing, the price of printer cartridges generally does not. Thus a user may be persuaded to buy a printer because it is less expensive, but is then committed to frequent purchases of more expensive printer cartridges.
Color ink, which usually includes cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) colors, is sometimes more expensive than black (K) ink. Therefore, many users elect to save on color (CMY) and opt to print color documents only in black. This, however, may degrade the legibility and/or aesthetics of the printed document.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the figures.